N.Y. Judge Bans 50 Unvaccinated Kids From School

March 14, 2019 -- Fifty unvaccinated students cannot attend the Green Meadow Waldorf School in Rockland County, N.Y., for at least three weeks, a federal judge in the county has ruled.

The decision was handed down as a measles outbreak in the county reached 146 cases on Tuesday. The outbreak is centered in an Orthodox Jewish community, CBS News reported.

The judge's ruling was supported by parent Beatrice Burgis.

"I believe that he's trying to mitigate a potential further outbreak and he's trying to keep everybody safe," she told CBS News.

So far this year, there have been 228 measles cases reported in 12 states, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly all states allow vaccine exemptions for religious beliefs, and 17 states allow exemptions for philosophical or personal reasons.

Last week, New York state Sen. Liz Krueger introduced a bill allowing any child 14 years and older to be vaccinated without parental consent. Oregon, South Carolina and some other states already have similar laws, CBS News reported.